US5662275A - Fuel injection nozzle - Google Patents

Fuel injection nozzle Download PDF

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Publication number
US5662275A
US5662275A US08/495,648 US49564895A US5662275A US 5662275 A US5662275 A US 5662275A US 49564895 A US49564895 A US 49564895A US 5662275 A US5662275 A US 5662275A
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US
United States
Prior art keywords
bore
nozzle
head
elastic member
fuel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Expired - Fee Related
Application number
US08/495,648
Inventor
Malcolm Lambert
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Delphi Technologies Inc
Original Assignee
Lucas Industries Ltd
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Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Lucas Industries Ltd filed Critical Lucas Industries Ltd
Assigned to LUCAS INDUSTRIES PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY reassignment LUCAS INDUSTRIES PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: LAMBERT, MALCOLM
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Publication of US5662275A publication Critical patent/US5662275A/en
Assigned to DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC. reassignment DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC. ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST (SEE DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS). Assignors: LUCAS INDUSTRIES LIMITED, LUCAS LIMITED
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Fee Related legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M61/00—Fuel-injectors not provided for in groups F02M39/00 - F02M57/00 or F02M67/00
    • F02M61/16—Details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M61/02 - F02M61/14
    • F02M61/20—Closing valves mechanically, e.g. arrangements of springs or weights or permanent magnets; Damping of valve lift
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M61/00—Fuel-injectors not provided for in groups F02M39/00 - F02M57/00 or F02M67/00
    • F02M61/04—Fuel-injectors not provided for in groups F02M39/00 - F02M57/00 or F02M67/00 having valves, e.g. having a plurality of valves in series
    • F02M61/08—Fuel-injectors not provided for in groups F02M39/00 - F02M57/00 or F02M67/00 having valves, e.g. having a plurality of valves in series the valves opening in direction of fuel flow
    • F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
    • F02—COMBUSTION ENGINES; HOT-GAS OR COMBUSTION-PRODUCT ENGINE PLANTS
    • F02M—SUPPLYING COMBUSTION ENGINES IN GENERAL WITH COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURES OR CONSTITUENTS THEREOF
    • F02M61/00—Fuel-injectors not provided for in groups F02M39/00 - F02M57/00 or F02M67/00
    • F02M61/16—Details not provided for in, or of interest apart from, the apparatus of groups F02M61/02 - F02M61/14
    • F02M61/20—Closing valves mechanically, e.g. arrangements of springs or weights or permanent magnets; Damping of valve lift
    • F02M61/205—Means specially adapted for varying the spring tension or assisting the spring force to close the injection-valve, e.g. with damping of valve lift

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a fuel injection nozzle for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine and of the kind comprising an elongated nozzle body, a bore extending axially between the ends of the body, a seating surface defined on the body at one end of the bore, a valve member movable in the bore, the valve member having a head for engagement with the seating surface, an elastic member coupled to the valve member, the elastic member extending within the bore and acting to bias the head of the valve member into engagement with the seating surface and means for admitting fuel under pressure into said bore, the arrangement being such that in use, when the fuel pressure in the bore attains a predetermined value the head of the valve member will be lifted from the seating surface to allow fuel flow from the one end of the bore to the associated engine, the end of the elastic member remote from the head being engaged with a collar between which and an adjacent portion of the nozzle body is located a shim.
  • Such nozzles are known in the art as outwardly opening nozzles and have important advantages over the more common inwardly opening nozzle.
  • One advantage is that when the valve head is in contact with the seating surface no fuel can dribble from the nozzle.
  • In the case of an inwardly opening nozzle there remains a volume of fuel downstream of the seating surface when the valve member is in contact with the seating surface and this volume of fuel can dribble from the nozzle and cause an increase in the hydrocarbon content of the engine exhaust.
  • a nozzle is seen in DE-A-3139170.
  • the thickness of the shim has to be selected so as to provide the desired nozzle opening pressure.
  • a nozzle is seen in FR-A-921787.
  • the elastic member is in the form of a rod which at its end remote from the valve member is secured within a screw threaded bush.
  • Engaged with the screw threads of the bush is a nut which also engages the adjacent end of the nozzle body and relative rotation of the bush and nut will vary the tension in the elastic member and thereby the pressure of fuel required to lift the valve member from the seating surface.
  • GB-A-586213 shows another form of nozzle in which the end of the elastic member remote from the valve head is provided with a screw thread and is engaged by a nut whereby the tension in the elastic member can be varied.
  • screw threaded members to adjust the nozzle opening pressure has been found to be unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. Firstly the method of adjustment has to allow for coarse adjustment to take account of manufacturing tolerances but also fine adjustment to alter the tension in the elastic member. In order to provide the fine adjustment the screw threads have to have a low pitch and it has been proposed to achieve this by means of a differential nut. However, the space available is small and it is difficult to form the threads to the high degree of accuracy required. In addition the threads provide regions of high stress concentration.
  • the object of the present invention is to provide a fuel injection nozzle of the kind specified in a simple and convenient form.
  • the head of the valve member is located beyond the one end of the bore and the thickness of the said shim being such as to generate a tension force in the elastic member in excess of that required to provide the desired nozzle opening pressure and means is provided for applying a compressive force to a part of said nozzle body to reduce the tension force in the elastic member.
  • the nozzle comprises a nozzle body 10 of stepped cylindrical form.
  • the body has a narrower portion 11 which extends in use through a bore 12 formed in the cylinder head of the associated engine, the bore 12 being an extension of a wider bore in the cylinder head.
  • the wider portion 13 of the body flares outwardly by a small amount at its end remote from the narrower portion and the end surface of the wider portion is machined to form a fuel tight seal with the end surface of a spacer member 14.
  • a cylindrical bore 15 Extending between the ends of the nozzle body is a cylindrical bore 15 and the end surface of the narrower portion 11 of the body surrounding the opening of the bore is machined to form a seating surface.
  • a valve member 16 Slidable within the adjacent end portion of the bore is a valve member 16 which has a head 17 located outside the bore and a fluted guide portion which cooperates with the wall of the bore. The under surface of the head is machined so as to cooperate with the seating surface to prevent escape of fuel from the bore.
  • the valve member is located at one end of an elastic member in the form of a thin rod 18 which is integrally formed with the valve member. The rod extends with clearance through the bore and the end of the rod remote from the head projects beyond the end of the body and is enlarged to define an abutment 19 which is of a size such that it can be passed through bore 15.
  • the abutment 19 seats in a collar which is defined by a C-shaped washer 20 and between the washer and the adjacent end of the wider portion of the body is a shim 21 which is also of C-shaped form, the C-shaped form of both the washer and the shim allowing their location beneath the abutment.
  • the washer, shim and abutment are located in a chamber 22 formed in the spacer member 14 and fuel under pressure can be supplied to the chamber through a passage 23 in the spacer member.
  • the bore 15 is in communication with the chamber.
  • the nozzle body 10 and the spacer member 14 are held in assembled relationship with a nozzle holder or with the housing of a fuel pump, by means of a cap nut 24 which has an apertured inwardly directed flange 25 engaged with the step defined between the two portions of the nozzle body.
  • the cap nut at its open end is provided with an internal screw thread which is engaged with the holder or housing and tightened to draw the various components into sealing engagement.
  • the nozzle opening pressure should be capable of adjustment to a predetermined value and in order to achieve this during assembly of the nozzle a shim 21 is fitted between the washer 20 and the end of the body which applies a pre-load to the rod 18.
  • the nozzle is then assembled to the holder or pump housing and the cap nut tightened and the nozzle is inserted in a jig which will reproduce the clamping force which is applied to the nozzle when it is inserted in the cylinder head of an engine.
  • the nozzle is then tested and if the nozzle opening pressure proves to be too low a thicker shim is inserted and the nozzle opening pressure again checked.
  • the nozzle opening pressure can be reduced by further tightening of the cap nut. This has the effect of increasing the compression force applied to the wider portion 13 of the nozzle body and thereby causing a reduction in its axial length thereby resulting in a lowering of the nozzle opening pressure as the pre-load in the rod 18 is reduced.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Combustion & Propulsion (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • General Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Fuel-Injection Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

A fuel injection nozzle of the outwardly opening type has a valve member movable outwardly by the fuel pressure within a bore in a nozzle body. The member is biased to the closed position by an elastic member in the form of a rod. At its end remote from the valve head, the rod engages a collar between which and an adjacent part of the valve body is a shim. The thickness of the shim is selected so that the tension force in the rod is higher than is required to give the desired nozzle opening pressure and this is adjusted to the desired value by compressing a portion of the nozzle body using a cap nut which secures the nozzle body to a supporting part.

Description

This invention relates to a fuel injection nozzle for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine and of the kind comprising an elongated nozzle body, a bore extending axially between the ends of the body, a seating surface defined on the body at one end of the bore, a valve member movable in the bore, the valve member having a head for engagement with the seating surface, an elastic member coupled to the valve member, the elastic member extending within the bore and acting to bias the head of the valve member into engagement with the seating surface and means for admitting fuel under pressure into said bore, the arrangement being such that in use, when the fuel pressure in the bore attains a predetermined value the head of the valve member will be lifted from the seating surface to allow fuel flow from the one end of the bore to the associated engine, the end of the elastic member remote from the head being engaged with a collar between which and an adjacent portion of the nozzle body is located a shim.
Such nozzles are known in the art as outwardly opening nozzles and have important advantages over the more common inwardly opening nozzle. One advantage is that when the valve head is in contact with the seating surface no fuel can dribble from the nozzle. In the case of an inwardly opening nozzle there remains a volume of fuel downstream of the seating surface when the valve member is in contact with the seating surface and this volume of fuel can dribble from the nozzle and cause an increase in the hydrocarbon content of the engine exhaust.
An example of such a nozzle is seen in DE-A-3139170. In this case the thickness of the shim has to be selected so as to provide the desired nozzle opening pressure.
Another example of a nozzle is seen in FR-A-921787. The elastic member is in the form of a rod which at its end remote from the valve member is secured within a screw threaded bush. Engaged with the screw threads of the bush is a nut which also engages the adjacent end of the nozzle body and relative rotation of the bush and nut will vary the tension in the elastic member and thereby the pressure of fuel required to lift the valve member from the seating surface. GB-A-586213 shows another form of nozzle in which the end of the elastic member remote from the valve head is provided with a screw thread and is engaged by a nut whereby the tension in the elastic member can be varied. The use of screw threaded members to adjust the nozzle opening pressure has been found to be unsatisfactory for a number of reasons. Firstly the method of adjustment has to allow for coarse adjustment to take account of manufacturing tolerances but also fine adjustment to alter the tension in the elastic member. In order to provide the fine adjustment the screw threads have to have a low pitch and it has been proposed to achieve this by means of a differential nut. However, the space available is small and it is difficult to form the threads to the high degree of accuracy required. In addition the threads provide regions of high stress concentration.
The object of the present invention is to provide a fuel injection nozzle of the kind specified in a simple and convenient form.
According to the invention in a nozzle of the kind specified the head of the valve member is located beyond the one end of the bore and the thickness of the said shim being such as to generate a tension force in the elastic member in excess of that required to provide the desired nozzle opening pressure and means is provided for applying a compressive force to a part of said nozzle body to reduce the tension force in the elastic member.
An example of a fuel injection nozzle in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawing which shows the nozzle and parts associated therewith in sectional side elevation.
With reference to the drawing the nozzle comprises a nozzle body 10 of stepped cylindrical form. The body has a narrower portion 11 which extends in use through a bore 12 formed in the cylinder head of the associated engine, the bore 12 being an extension of a wider bore in the cylinder head. The wider portion 13 of the body flares outwardly by a small amount at its end remote from the narrower portion and the end surface of the wider portion is machined to form a fuel tight seal with the end surface of a spacer member 14.
Extending between the ends of the nozzle body is a cylindrical bore 15 and the end surface of the narrower portion 11 of the body surrounding the opening of the bore is machined to form a seating surface. Slidable within the adjacent end portion of the bore is a valve member 16 which has a head 17 located outside the bore and a fluted guide portion which cooperates with the wall of the bore. The under surface of the head is machined so as to cooperate with the seating surface to prevent escape of fuel from the bore. The valve member is located at one end of an elastic member in the form of a thin rod 18 which is integrally formed with the valve member. The rod extends with clearance through the bore and the end of the rod remote from the head projects beyond the end of the body and is enlarged to define an abutment 19 which is of a size such that it can be passed through bore 15.
The abutment 19 seats in a collar which is defined by a C-shaped washer 20 and between the washer and the adjacent end of the wider portion of the body is a shim 21 which is also of C-shaped form, the C-shaped form of both the washer and the shim allowing their location beneath the abutment. The washer, shim and abutment are located in a chamber 22 formed in the spacer member 14 and fuel under pressure can be supplied to the chamber through a passage 23 in the spacer member. By virtue of the C-shape of the washer and the shim, the bore 15 is in communication with the chamber.
The nozzle body 10 and the spacer member 14 are held in assembled relationship with a nozzle holder or with the housing of a fuel pump, by means of a cap nut 24 which has an apertured inwardly directed flange 25 engaged with the step defined between the two portions of the nozzle body. The cap nut at its open end is provided with an internal screw thread which is engaged with the holder or housing and tightened to draw the various components into sealing engagement.
In the use of the nozzle when fuel under pressure is supplied through the passage 23, the fuel pressure acts on the underside of the head 17 of the valve member and when the pressure attains a sufficiently high value the head will be lifted from the seating surface against the tension force in the rod 18. Fuel can now flow from the end of the bore into a combustion chamber of the associated engine, the fuel being atomized as it leaves the bore.
It is vital that the nozzle opening pressure should be capable of adjustment to a predetermined value and in order to achieve this during assembly of the nozzle a shim 21 is fitted between the washer 20 and the end of the body which applies a pre-load to the rod 18. The nozzle is then assembled to the holder or pump housing and the cap nut tightened and the nozzle is inserted in a jig which will reproduce the clamping force which is applied to the nozzle when it is inserted in the cylinder head of an engine. The nozzle is then tested and if the nozzle opening pressure proves to be too low a thicker shim is inserted and the nozzle opening pressure again checked.
With a shim in place which gives a nozzle opening pressure slightly higher than required, the nozzle opening pressure can be reduced by further tightening of the cap nut. This has the effect of increasing the compression force applied to the wider portion 13 of the nozzle body and thereby causing a reduction in its axial length thereby resulting in a lowering of the nozzle opening pressure as the pre-load in the rod 18 is reduced. Once the opening pressure has been correctly set in the jig, the holder or pump housing and nozzle can be removed from the jig and providing in use the same clamping force is applied, the desired nozzle opening pressure will be obtained.

Claims (2)

I claim:
1. A fuel injection nozzle for supplying fuel to an internal combustion engine and comprising an elongated nozzle body (10), a bore (15) extending axially between the ends of the body, a seating surface defined on the body at one end of the bore, a valve member (16) movable in the bore and having a head (17) for engagement with the seating surface, an elastic member (18) coupled to the valve member, the elastic member extending within the bore and acting to bias the head (17) of the valve member into engagement with the seating surface, means (23) for admitting fuel under pressure into said bore whereby when the fuel pressure attains a predetermined value the head (17) will be lifted from the seating surface to allow fuel flow from one end of the bore to the associated engine, the end of the elastic member (18) remote from the head (17) being engaged with a collar (20) between which and an adjacent portion of the nozzle body (10) is located a shim (21), wherein the head (17) is located beyond the one end of the bore (15) and the thickness of the shim being such as to generate a tension force in the elastic member (18) in excess of that required to provide the desired nozzle opening pressure and means (24, 25) for applying a compressive force to a part of said nozzle body (10) to reduce the tension force in the elastic member (18).
2. A nozzle according to claim 1, wherein said means for applying a compress force comprises a cap nut (24) which engages against a step defined on the nozzle body (10) and which is in screw thread engagement with a part mounting the nozzle body.
US08/495,648 1993-01-29 1994-01-28 Fuel injection nozzle Expired - Fee Related US5662275A (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (3)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
GB9301793 1993-01-29
GB939301793A GB9301793D0 (en) 1993-01-29 1993-01-29 Fuel injection nozzle
PCT/GB1994/000169 WO1994017300A1 (en) 1993-01-29 1994-01-28 Fuel injection nozzle

Publications (1)

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US5662275A true US5662275A (en) 1997-09-02

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US08/495,648 Expired - Fee Related US5662275A (en) 1993-01-29 1994-01-28 Fuel injection nozzle

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US (1) US5662275A (en)
EP (1) EP0681650B1 (en)
DE (1) DE69400374T2 (en)
ES (1) ES2093517T3 (en)
GB (1) GB9301793D0 (en)
WO (1) WO1994017300A1 (en)

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060016916A1 (en) * 2004-07-23 2006-01-26 Magnetti Marelli Powertrain S S.P.A. Fuel injector provided with a high flexibility plunger
US20170370337A1 (en) * 2015-01-26 2017-12-28 Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. Fuel injection valve

Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB586213A (en) * 1944-09-18 1947-03-11 Mieczyslaw Milewski Improvements in fuel injectors for internal combustion engines
FR921787A (en) * 1945-11-29 1947-05-19 Valve lift and return control mode
DE1139698B (en) * 1959-02-04 1962-11-15 Borg Warner Fuel injector
GB2054033A (en) * 1979-07-20 1981-02-11 Lucas Industries Ltd I.C. engine fuel injection nozzle
GB2058915A (en) * 1979-09-08 1981-04-15 Bosch Gmbh Robert Orce of a spring thereof fuel injection valve and a method of varying the closing f
GB2097058A (en) * 1981-04-14 1982-10-27 Lucas Ind Plc Fuel injection nozzles
DE3139288A1 (en) * 1981-10-02 1983-04-21 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines
DE3139170A1 (en) * 1981-10-02 1983-04-21 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines
US4730785A (en) * 1985-05-02 1988-03-15 Robert Bosch Gmbh Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines

Patent Citations (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
GB586213A (en) * 1944-09-18 1947-03-11 Mieczyslaw Milewski Improvements in fuel injectors for internal combustion engines
FR921787A (en) * 1945-11-29 1947-05-19 Valve lift and return control mode
DE1139698B (en) * 1959-02-04 1962-11-15 Borg Warner Fuel injector
GB2054033A (en) * 1979-07-20 1981-02-11 Lucas Industries Ltd I.C. engine fuel injection nozzle
GB2058915A (en) * 1979-09-08 1981-04-15 Bosch Gmbh Robert Orce of a spring thereof fuel injection valve and a method of varying the closing f
GB2097058A (en) * 1981-04-14 1982-10-27 Lucas Ind Plc Fuel injection nozzles
DE3139288A1 (en) * 1981-10-02 1983-04-21 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines
DE3139170A1 (en) * 1981-10-02 1983-04-21 Robert Bosch Gmbh, 7000 Stuttgart Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines
US4730785A (en) * 1985-05-02 1988-03-15 Robert Bosch Gmbh Fuel injection nozzle for internal combustion engines

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US20060016916A1 (en) * 2004-07-23 2006-01-26 Magnetti Marelli Powertrain S S.P.A. Fuel injector provided with a high flexibility plunger
EP1619384A3 (en) * 2004-07-23 2006-05-24 Magneti Marelli Powertrain S.p.A. Fuel injector provided with a high flexibility plunger
US20170370337A1 (en) * 2015-01-26 2017-12-28 Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. Fuel injection valve
US10378496B2 (en) * 2015-01-26 2019-08-13 Hitachi Automotive Systems, Ltd. Fuel injection valve

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP0681650B1 (en) 1996-08-14
ES2093517T3 (en) 1996-12-16
DE69400374D1 (en) 1996-09-19
DE69400374T2 (en) 1996-12-12
WO1994017300A1 (en) 1994-08-04
EP0681650A1 (en) 1995-11-15
GB9301793D0 (en) 1993-03-17

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Owner name: LUCAS INDUSTRIES PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY, ENGLAND

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNOR:LAMBERT, MALCOLM;REEL/FRAME:007654/0586

Effective date: 19950728

REMI Maintenance fee reminder mailed
AS Assignment

Owner name: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES, INC., MICHIGAN

Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:LUCAS LIMITED;LUCAS INDUSTRIES LIMITED;REEL/FRAME:011742/0367

Effective date: 20010409

LAPS Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
FP Lapsed due to failure to pay maintenance fee

Effective date: 20010902

STCH Information on status: patent discontinuation

Free format text: PATENT EXPIRED DUE TO NONPAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEES UNDER 37 CFR 1.362